Whales Vs. Boats, Spain, France, Portgugal, Morocco, Report Published

[Overdue]

Conclusion: young killer whales are "bored"? Here is an interesting summary of a report issued in Feb. 2024, following a conference of scientists who studied increased incidence of whales Vs. boats. The article includes a link to the actual published report.



https://www.aol.com/killer-whales-ke...090349677.html

[Montanan]

Orcas just having a whale of a good time!

[JPA Cate]

I found myself wondering if it is a reaction to pollution in the ocean waters, or an attempt by whales to investigate human intelligence.....

I bet the marine biologists know better than me, though.

Ann

[fxykty]

Teenagers with free time on their fins getting into trouble - wouldn’t happen with humans!

[wrwakefield]

I have often pondered how we- as a species- came to discover various foods that seem inedible at first glance. Think crab, shrimp, lobster, artichokes, etc.

How desperate were the first Homo sapiens to crack open the hard and uninviting exoskeleton of a crab, only to discover the delectable reward inside…?

Perhaps this band of orcas is on a similar path of discovery…? <I’m grinning…>

Cheers, Bill

[svhydra]

i was wondering that since whales rely on sonar for so much of their daily lives, is it possible for cruisers to have a certain benign/annoying frequency to broadcast on as a last resort to drive away unwanted hooligan orcas from sailboats?

[grantmc]

It strikes me that there's a great deal of anthropomorphising discussed in the report. I don't really know how we can understand the motivation of another species to make decisions and act on same, we struggle enough to understand why we do half the things we do ourselves. Certainly never understood the stuff my teenage sons would get up to, and for that matter, looking back to me own years of running riot. Drugs, sex and rock n roll I guess but not always available or in that order., but the desire mmmm

I was though very surprised by the sheer volume of attacks reported. 673 boats since 2020.
And my cynicism again, but I wonder who maintains these stats and what constitutes an 'attack'. And also how do skippers even know who to report to and even bother.

Anyone here passed through Gibraltar in the last few years? Do authorities (whoever they are) pass out notices detailing what and where must be reported and to whom?

A friend of mine suggested a simple solution; flash bangs. Anyone tried them with whales? And ok a pm would be fine.

[Kd9truck]

[QUOTE=grantmc;3902764]It strikes me that there's a great deal of anthropomorphising discussed in the report. I don't really know how we can understand the motivation of another species to make decisions and act on same, we struggle enough to understand why we do half the things we do ourselves.

I found the same in the report, psychoanalyzing adolescent Wales, as if they were humans. Post grad Marine mammal physiology curriculum to be instituted in an Ivey league institution near you.
I find it equally ironic that the known adaptation VS extinction motivator is never mentioned by academia and quickly denounced as moronic when brought up.
Adolescent and adult killer whales play with their food, that’s a fact. Yet no accreditation holding voice will acknowledge this behavior as applicable.

As a life long student of human nature and behavior, and a manager of the crisis they cause themselves on a professional level, I find the denunciation of explanations amusing as all explanations are possible until they can be proven not to be the case.

Adaptions is nature happen by animals performing no traditional behaviors. At some point they will find attacking rudders useful or they will stop. At some point they will share the behavior to other groupings in which they may adapt and find a use for, or not.

I read in a very good book by Larurence Gonzales (deep survival), where he share this tenet. there are only 2 choices in evolution, of all life, of any species adaptation or extinction.
I believe this tenet to be true, play or pray, or eventually both only time will tell. I pass no judgment on those that endeavor to protect themselves, that’s adaptation, a function of survival…or so I have been informed.

Cheers